Upholstery molding



y 1933; A. L. HOWARD 1,907,070

UPHOLSTERY MOLDING Filed NOV. 27, 1931 M t- W Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED ALBERT L. HOWARD, or BROGKTON, MAssAcnUsnTTs, ASSIGNOR To HAMILTON-WADE COMPANY, or IBROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS UPI-IOLSTERY MOLDING Application filed. November 27, 1931. Serial No. 577,469.

This invention relates to upholstery molding of the general type shown in my Patent No. 1,513,510, granted October 28, 1924, in which the base portion through which attaching nails are driven is covered by cooperating beaded portions ofthe molding.

Such molding is particularly useful in the interior finish of automobiles although its use is of general application Wherever it is 19 desired to employ a finishing molding or welting attached by blind or concealed fastenings. j

The desirable characteristics of upholstery moldings reside more particularly in their decorative appearance, in their ability to perform the holding-down function without becoming loose, distorted or ragged, and in the adaptability of the molding to be laid along the devious paths or directions necessary without placing undue or injurious strain on the molding. My invention herein especially contemplates these characteristics and the primary object of the invention is to produce an improved upholstery molding which will embody these desirable features to an extent heretofore unknown in a product of this nature.

My improved molding as herein illustrated and described comprises a cover strip of sheet material having its opposite edge portions wrapped about and securely connected to cores of flexible material and of such configuration as to permit the molding great freedom of movement in both transverse directions, thus enlarging the utility of the molding and facilitating its use. The arrangement of the cover strip and cores is also such as to produce a double thickness base held together by means including a line of stitching, which serves the additional function of a tack guide line in laying the molding, and upon which base the beads formed by the covered cores lie flat and so fully fill the space within the molding as to provide great rigidity and prevent any distortion thereof. The beads of the molding are furthermore so complenientally constructed that in the closed position one engages beneath and is held down by the other and both cooperate to provide a substantially unitary and symmetrical convex exterior of pleasing appearance and whereon there are no projecting portions to engage clothing and cause displacement of the molding. The production of such an improved molding comprises a further object of my invention.

These and other foaturesof the inventio will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in] which Fig. l is a view in perspective of the molding in process of manufacture;

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating a later stage in the process of manufacture;

Fig. 3 is a similar view ofa short piece of the molding in its finished and attached or applied condition, the cores beingshown as extended beyond the finished piece;

Fig. 4' is a View of the molding in cross section; and' i Fig. 5' is a View in perspective of the cores in inverted position; V

The cores employed in the molding of this invention may be of any suitable flexible and. somewhat resilient material, such as rubber or rubber composition, these having the advantages of convenient manufacture by processes of molding or extruding. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention the molding as a whole presents a symmetrically .curved configuration being segmental in cross section with an outer cylindrical face, though not necessarily circular- 1y cylindrical. .That is, the convex face of the molding may depart in itscu'rvature from a true circle, if desired, and comprise merging arcs of different radii.

In the production of such molding as that herein shown, segmental cores are employed, and by this term is meant cores which have an outer or circumferential surface of convex curvature and other bounding surfaces disposed inangular relation. 'More specifically, the segmental cores are complementary and by thisterm is meant cores which complement each other in a geometrical sense in completing semi-circular or other segmental area of cross section in the complete molding.

The core 20, which is employed in the lefthand side of the molding as seen in Fig. 1, is best shown in Fig. 5 where it is represented as inverted as compared to the usual position of the molding. The core may be formed by extruding and is generally quadrant shaped in cross section. It has a flat bottom face 21 which is stepped or shouldered by a vertical wall 22 and a horizontal wall 23 to form a recess which extends along the inner and lower edge of the core and is in width roughlyhalf, or a little more than half, of the width of the bottom of the core. It has also a plane substantially vertical inner face and an outer con- Vex curved face extending smoothly from the outer edge of the bottom face to the upper edge of its inner vertical face.

The core 24, which is employed in the right-hand side of the molding is of similar but'reverse configuration. It has a flat bottom face 25 which is limited at its outer edge by a downwardly projecting rib 26, a plane substantially vertical inner face and an outer convex curved face extending smoothly from the lower outer edge of the pib 26 to the upper edge of its innervertical ace.

In the completed and closed molding the two cores are located opposite to each other with their inner vertical faces in close proximity so that they form together a body roughly semi-circular or segmental in cross section. Cooperatingwith the two cores to form the molding is a cover strip 10 of thin leather, fabric or other suitable sheet material of such texture and color as may be appropriate for the use intended for the molding. I

The first steps in manufacturing the molding are illustrated in Fig. 1. One marginal edge 12 of the strip 10 is underturned and folded back upon the body of the cover strip, being cemented or otherwise secured thereto. The bead core 20 is next applied and secured to this folded portion of the strip with the outer edges of the strip and core substantially in alignment. As illustrated, the core is secured to the strip by stitching'28 passing through the core and strip closely adjacent to the wall 22.

The other marginal edge 16 of the strip 10 is wrapped around the core 24, as shown in Fig. 1 A definite portion of this edge is first folded over as at 14 and placed against the flat bottom face 25 of the inverted core with the strip edge substantially in contact with the rib 26, the proportions being such as to leave an outwardly extending lip 14 of double thickness- The wrapping of the strip is continued about the vertical and convex surfaces of the core to a point adjacent to the opposite side of the rib 26,

the strip being cemented to the core and the folds at 14 being cemented together.

In completing the molding, the upper face (Fig. 1) of the cover strip 10 between the cores 20 and 24 is cemented and the strip is then wrapped about the core 20 across the lower face of the underturned edge 12. It will be apparent that this wrapping of the core 20 completely conc'ealsand protects the stitching 28 and firmly unites the cover strip with the core and with the underturned portion 12 of the strip, the strip lying fiat against the entire bottom area of said portion and forming a double thickness base. A straight line of stitching 30 through this base serves the double function of further securing the two plies together and forming a tack guide line when nailing the molding into place. i v

The completed molding is shown in open position in Fig. 2 and'i'n closed position in Fig. 3. The bead formed. by the core 20 rests flatly on the bottom surface 21, thus forming a longitudinal channel beneath the inner edge portion of the bead and. between the bead and the base 12.. Thischannel is adapted to receive the lip 14 and hold the bead of core 24 in the closed position. In such closed position it will be noted that the flat bottom portion 16 of the head 24 rests i flatly on the base 12 and that the rib 26 of the core is engaged firmly against the two overlyin edges of the strip 10. All space within the outline of the molding is thus completely filled and the molding thereby firmly supported against distortion or displacement. It will be furthermore noted that the two beads of the moldingare equal in size and closely engage each other along the center of the molding, this construction not only being symmetrical and pleasing to the eye but also making the molding more flexible so that it can be more readily bent in any direction around curves and corners.

The manner. of using the molding is believed to be apparent. The molding in the open position is placed on and along the mar in of the upholstery it is to secure and is tacked or nailed in place along the stitching line 30. The path which the molding must follow may deviate in various directions around curves and angles and it is desired to point out that the improved construction of my molding, and more especially the configuration of the cores 2O and-24,

permits much greater flexibility of the molding in both transverse directions whereby it can more readily follow these directions without placing an injurious strain on the molding. ed into place, the lip 14 is tucked into the channel beneath. the bead 2O whereupon the molding assumes the symmetrical shape shown in Fig. 8, which shape is not: onlyof pleasing appearance but substantially of a When the molding has been nailsingle convex contour with no projecting portions to catch onto clothing and cause displacement or injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An elongated strip of upholstery molding, comprising a pair of solid and flexible cores wrapped in the opposite edge portions of a cover strip to form two beads connected to opposite sides of an intermediate base portion, the beads being substantially alike in external appearance and complemental one to the other to form a smooth convexly curved top surface, one bead being fixed and the other being pivotally movable away therefrom to open position, and alip carried by the movable bead and in the closed position engaged snugly within a recess in the fixed bead.

2. A11 elongated strip of upholstery molding, comprising a pair of solid and flexible cores wrapped in the opposite edge portions of a cover strip to form two beads connected to opposite-sides of an intermediate flat base portion, each bead having a fiat bottom surface and a convexly curved top surface and one bead having a recess inwardly of its flat bottom surface, means fixing said one bead with its bottom surface engaged against the fiat base, and a lip on the free edge of the other bead for engaging snugly within the said recess and holding the bead closed with its fiat bottom surface in contact with the flat base, the said curved top surfaces of the beads forming substantially a continuously curved exterior in the closed position.

3. Upholstery molding comprising a cover strip having its two edge portions respectively wrapped about flexible cores to provide two beads connected together by a base portion, one of said edge portions being folded onto itself and stitched to the bottom face of its core and forming an open channel between the folds beneath the bead, other means fixing the last-named bead to the base portion, the other bead being pivotally movable outwardly to open position and having a lip on its free edge adapted to fit snugly within the channel of the fixed bead and hold the movable bead in closed position on the base portion, and said beads being so complemental to each other and contacting so closely in the closed position that they form substantially a unit when in that po sition.

4. Upholstery molding comprising a fieX- ible cover strip wrapped at opposite edge portions about solid flexible cores of complementary segmental shape, each core having a plane upright inner face, a recess at the inner lower corner thereof, and an outer surface extending ina smooth convex curve from its outer marginal edge to its inner face, and overlapping portions of the cover strip arranged to fill the recesses in the core bottom; I

5. Upholstery molding comprising a flexible cover strip doubled at one edge to form a fold vertex, fiexiblecores of complementary segmental shape wrapped in each edge portion of the cover strip,-both cores having plane upright inner faces extending to the same height, one core having a recess in its bottom adjacent to its inner face and overlying the fold of the cover strip, and the other core having a lip formed in its covering adapted to fit between the plies of the cover strip which are thus overlaid.

6. Upholstery molding comprising a flexible cover strip folded along one edge, a segmental core, having a curved upper surface and a shouldered bottom surface and being stitched to the cover strip with its outer marginal edge substantially registering with thefold vertex thereof, a comple- V mentary segmental core Wrapped within the other edge portion of the cover strip and being provided with a transversely projecting lip at its inner corner removably fitting beneath the shouldered bottom face of the core first mentioned and between the plies of the folded cover strip, the cores being shaped to impart a cylindrical top contour and flat bottom to the molding as a. whole. v w

7 In upholstery molding, a solid core of flexible material, segmental in cross sec tion, having a smoothly curved outer surface and a stepped or shouldered bottom surface providing an elongated recesses extically-disposed inner face and a fiat bottom face with a recess extending along and within its inner edge, the curved outer surface of the core extending in a continuous convex curve from the lower outer marginal edge of the core to a substantially right angular corner above said recess.

9. In upholstery molding, a core having a solid flexible body of segmental cross sec-- tion, having a substantially vertical innerface, a horizontal bottom face provided with a wide shallow recess extending outwardly from said inner face and bounded at its outer edge by a rib projecting downwardly from the body of the core, and an outer convex surface extending smoothly from the 

